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IMO James has been an iconic Steeler. I am disappointed that James is not a Steeler or did not retire a Steeler. James has a choice in the matter, of course.

I won't hate on James at all. I won't be affected by anyone being disaffected with James, and I will appreciate the positives many on the board have for James. I hope that if he plays poorly against the Steelers, that we win both Bungle games. I hope he knocks Flacco over like a Jenga tower until he cries out of his unibrow.

Narcissistic injury is the term used for any threat to a narcissist's outsized ego or self-esteem.

Heard some coach mention that it's hard for any guy no matter who he is and what his character may be to work himself into the chemistry of the locker room for 1-2 years. It just takes that long to earn the respect and a voice amongst your teammates. There's already team leaders and it takes work for a new guy to work his way in.

So in essence they were suggesting a young FA might work, but the older guys typically don't work out for a new team in the NFL.

Unless you're the Pats who can seem to work any malcontent into their way of doing things. The Bengals are a mess though from a leadership perspective.

I do think the one thing James will bring is more penalties for everyone in Cincy.

I get what you are saying, but my impression is that Harrison is a loner-type of player that other guys generally stay away from. Might not be true, but he comes off that way anyway....

They'll use him as a cover backer... they're not thinking pass rush, which is probably better for James from a health standpoint. His back and knee injuries, IMO, have much to do with having tackles 6 inches taller and 100 pounds heavier than he is grab him around the shoulder pads and bend him backwards 30 times a game. They're envisioning the Massoquoi and Cribbs hits from the Cleveland games years ago in coverage, and making the shallow flats a dangerous place for opposing backs, tight ends and receivers... I'm more worried about the health of Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, et al, than that of Ben playing opposite James. OTOH, I can also envision speed guys running away from him regularly at this advanced stage of his career to the point where he ends up on the bench.

Heard some coach mention that it's hard for any guy no matter who he is and what his character may be to work himself into the chemistry of the locker room for 1-2 years. It just takes that long to earn the respect and a voice amongst your teammates. There's already team leaders and it takes work for a new guy to work his way in.

So in essence they were suggesting a young FA might work, but the older guys typically don't work out for a new team in the NFL.

Unless you're the Pats who can seem to work any malcontent into their way of doing things. The Bengals are a mess though from a leadership perspective.

I do think the one thing James will bring is more penalties for everyone in Cincy.

It may be that a former DPOY (who was a close runner-up a second time) that has 2 SB rings and 3 AFC Championships on his resume might command a bit more respect on a young team that is trying to learn to win. Schematically, he probably won't have huge sack numbers. However, his work ethic and drive will make him formidable for as long as he can stay healthy.

I really don't see him as a penalty machine if he's not rushing the QB so much.

I look at Harrison as Bengal against us as this, we get that second weapon as a TE and he would probably be forced to cover him. From what I have seen of him the last few years, like 08 superbowl he is usually trailing the receiver he is assigned. He just does not have the wheels for the chase anymore.

I look at Harrison as Bengal against us as this, we get that second weapon as a TE and he would probably be forced to cover him. From what I have seen of him the last few years, like 08 superbowl he is usually trailing the receiver he is assigned. He just does not have the wheels for the chase anymore.

If we got a 6'5" TE that knows how to position himself to get the ball, it will be hard for any 5'11" player to cover him.

When linebacker James Harrison agreed to terms with the Bengals, our first thought was that the Bengals had extended an offer both to Harrison and linebacker Karlos Dansby, with a simple message: Whoever accepts first gets the job.

Thatís the obvious inference flowing from comments by coach Marvin Lewis suggesting that one of the two linebackers, but not both, will be signed before the draft.

While itís possible that the Bengals were going to sign Dansby if they didnít sign Harrison, a source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that Dansby heard not a peep from the Bengals since visiting the team on April 10. This suggests that the Bengals used the possibility of signing Dansby as leverage to close the deal with Harrison, with whom the Bengals had been regularly negotiating.

Itís a valid tactic, and it apparently worked. How well it worked will depend on the details of Harrisonís contract.

The fact that nothing has been leaked from Harrisonís camp regarding the value of the deal means that, from Harrisonís perspective, the deal likely isnít anything to crow about.